The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Shadaza · Post by **Shadaza** » 11 Jul 2014, 16:21

I am very much looking forward to this series, I feel they have the freedom to put forward whatever rules they would like to try out, they don't have 60 years of tradition or a mainstream audience to upset so why should they play conservative?

Whilst Fanboost is polarizing opions, I do like how fan interactivity is a key focus for Formula E, Formula 1 at times is very insular and closed and clearly does not get social media at all.

From testing times (a very unreliable metric it has to be said!) it looks like Buemi and Di Grassi will be front runners. This isn't much of a surprise because they are both quality drivers in quality teams (DAMS-Renault and Abt-Audi respectively).

After 4 days of testing China Racing are yet to confirm a driver whilst Dragon 2 and Andretti 2 seem to be open, but I very much expect Servia and Speed to take them.

watka · Post by **watka** » 13 Jul 2014, 17:32

Code: Select all

Pos  Driver             Team      Time       Gap      Laps
 1.  Sebastien Buemi    e.dams    1m31.083s           44
 2.  Lucas di Grassi    Abt       1m31.282s  +0.199s  54
 3.  Jerome d'Ambrosio  China     1m31.651s  +0.568s  39
 4.  Scott Speed        Andretti  1m31.810s  +0.727s  46
 5.  Sam Bird           Virgin    1m31.895s  +0.812s  51
 6.  Daniel Abt         Abt       1m32.080s  +0.997s  57
 7.  Nicolas Prost      e.dams    1m32.124s  +1.041s  48
 8.  Nick Heidfeld      Venturi   1m32.126s  +1.043s  78
 9.  Jarno Trulli       Trulli    1m32.479s  +1.396s  38
10.  Bruno Senna        Mahindra  1m32.506s  +1.423s  51
11.  Franck Montagny    Andretti  1m32.512s  +1.429s  50
12.  Jaime Alguersuari  Virgin    1m32.583s  +1.500s  28
13.  Karun Chandhok     Mahindra  1m33.019s  +1.936s  46
14.  Oriol Servia       Dragon    1m33.083s  +2.000s  46
15.  Juan Manuel Lopez  China     1m33.425s  +2.342s  46
16.  Michela Cerruti    Trulli    1m33.544s  +2.461s  31
17.  Mike Conway        Dragon    1m33.692s  +2.609s  31
18.  Katherine Legge    Aguri     1m33.778s  +2.695s  17
19.  Fabio Leimer       Aguri     1m38.988s  +7.905s  39

That timesheet reads like a work of art.

Post by **mario** » 13 Jul 2014, 18:02

pi314159 wrote:
East Londoner wrote:Keith Collantine, being a miserable git about FanBoost

Again, it just seems people want Formula E to conform and be like any other series. I've grown to like FanBoost since it was announced.

I'm not a fan of FanBoost either. I still have the maybe old-fashioned opinion that the performance should be decided by driving talent and, if not a spec series, technology. I don't like the idea that a driver could lose a race because he lost the popularity contest that is FanBoost. For me, it has nothing to do with conforming or not, it is simply unfair towards drivers that don't get FanBoost.

However, apart from that, I'm looking forward to Formula E. I like the idea of racing on street circuits, there are lots of talented drivers, coming from F1, WEC and IndyCar. And there's the comeback of three reject teams with Virgin, Aguri and Venturi to look forward to.

Which is part of the reason why Keith Collantine is also unhappy at the idea, since he likewise feels that it undermines the competitive nature of the series if drivers are advantaged due to their popularity. There is the uncomfortable issue of something of a lock in for driver popularity too - if a handful of drivers were to become successful and thereby increase their standing, it raises the risk that the subsequent advantage from the FanBoost would become biased over time towards them, something I am uncomfortable about.

As Shadaza rightly points out though, at least the organisers are attempting to try to approach people with a fresh attitude - it isn't necessarily the most successful approach, but it is at least an attempt to engage people in a way that other series do not want to.
To a certain extent, F1's aloofness from things such as social media is perhaps not surprising - given that the attitude of the sport is very much about creating an image of superiority and exclusiveness, to then open up and invite the fans into a world that they normally do their best not to reveal is somewhat counter intuitive to the existing hierarchy.

Only Lotus have really shown a level of awareness about social media that shows what the sport could do, but most seem to still be locked into a very traditional way of thinking - perhaps not surprising when most of the current teams are still dominated by motorsport figures who came to prominence from the 1970's to 1990's, and thus seem to have shaped their awareness of the media from what it was like then rather than what it is like now.

MorbidelliObese · Post by **MorbidelliObese** » 15 Jul 2014, 12:53

Going a bit against the grain here, but while I get that Formula E is a blank slate and they don't need to be bound by anything F1 or any other series does, while F1 does seem to be shying away from the social media aspect, all that aside this fan boost thing seems to be something that it wouldn't surprise me if post-2011 F1 embraced alongside all the other crap that's been/being introduced that I'm told I have to like because of pink tinted glasses or something.

They already have something completely unique - an all-electric series, and if they're bold enough to open up technical development then they're then also unique from everything bar F1, WEC, and to a lesser extent F3 and IndyCar.

By all means promote the crap out of the series over whatever platforms you wish, that's a good thing, but I just think fan boost is an unnecessary and backwards step when there was so much to be excited about.

Or at least give us a "nobody gets a boost" vote option? That'd get me engaged, for sure.

GwilymJJames · Post by **GwilymJJames** » 21 Jul 2014, 15:09

Argentina ePrix circuit revealed

That makes 5 circuits out of 9 (or 10, but you'd think they'd've announced the 10th race by now)

GwilymJJames · Post by **GwilymJJames** » 22 Jul 2014, 14:34

Backmarker wrote:How is Jerome Custard still unsigned in a series where Stéphane Sarrazin can get a seat?

Good news!

Formula E wrote:Dragon Racing, the Los Angeles-based professional motorsports team owned by media and publishing entrepreneur Jay Penske, has today announced the signing of Jérôme d'Ambrosio to compete in the new all-electric FIA Formula E Championship.

[...]

The signing of d'Ambrosio leaves just three driver places remaining for the 2014/2015 Formula E season with China Racing yet to reveal their line-up, along with the second seat at Andretti Autosport.

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 22 Jul 2014, 18:00

Since I went to the Formula E test 3 weeks ago, I have been allowing myself to get confused between two different teams. You see, one of the teams has a picture of a dragon on its sidepod. No, it isn't the Team Dragon car with a dragon on it but Team China...

CaptainGetz12 · Post by **CaptainGetz12** » 27 Jul 2014, 17:53

Hmm, Long Beach will have a legacy program to allow for some free admissions to the round at Long Beach:

http://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/2014/july/grand-prix-association-of-long-beach-to-host-long-beach-eprix.aspx

Apparently they want to attract a younger crowd, university students in particular. Formula E seems to be looking to attract a younger crowd with stuff like the "Fanboost" feature, something I don't really see many other series try to do as seriously as Formula E is.

Does anyone else think what Formula E is doing in attracting the younger crowd is a worthy investment?

roblo97 · Post by **roblo97** » 27 Jul 2014, 18:17

CaptainGetz12 wrote:Hmm, Long Beach will have a legacy program to allow for some free admissions to the round at Long Beach:

http://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/2014/july/grand-prix-association-of-long-beach-to-host-long-beach-eprix.aspx

Apparently they want to attract a younger crowd, university students in particular. Formula E seems to be looking to attract a younger crowd with stuff like the "Fanboost" feature, something I don't really see many other series try to do as seriously as Formula E is.

Does anyone else think what Formula E is doing in attracting the younger crowd is a worthy investment?

I think that if it gets a younger crowd in on race day, then that is a good thing. They seem to be targeting people of roughly the same age as me and the fanboost thing wiill be a good adittion in my opinion. It's just a shame that I live in Britain and would probably have to pay for tickets to London if I went.
(BTW i'm 17)

F1000X · Post by **F1000X** » 28 Jul 2014, 04:50

CaptainGetz12 wrote: Apparently they want to attract a younger crowd, university students in particular. Formula E seems to be looking to attract a younger crowd with stuff like the "Fanboost" feature, something I don't really see many other series try to do as seriously as Formula E is.

Does anyone else think what Formula E is doing in attracting the younger crowd is a worthy investment?

It's great that they're trying, but they're going about it wrong. Here's something I might try.

Take something out of the George Lucas playbook. Episode I of the Star Wars franchise was an indispituably terrible movie, save for a few moments- one being the pod race scene. In that scene, every vehicle on the screen is given a unique, otherworldly propulsion sound. What if every Formula E car (or team) had it's own war cry to intimidate other drivers and excite fans?

Putting Jericho Trumpets on electric race cars might draw the EDM kids.

Aerospeed · Post by **Aerospeed** » 28 Jul 2014, 14:22

F1000X wrote:
CaptainGetz12 wrote: Apparently they want to attract a younger crowd, university students in particular. Formula E seems to be looking to attract a younger crowd with stuff like the "Fanboost" feature, something I don't really see many other series try to do as seriously as Formula E is.

Does anyone else think what Formula E is doing in attracting the younger crowd is a worthy investment?

It's great that they're trying, but they're going about it wrong. Here's something I might try.

Take something out of the George Lucas playbook. Episode I of the Star Wars franchise was an indispituably terrible movie, save for a few moments- one being the pod race scene. In that scene, every vehicle on the screen is given a unique, otherworldly propulsion sound. What if every Formula E car (or team) had it's own war cry to intimidate other drivers and excite fans?

Putting Jericho Trumpets on electric race cars might draw the EDM kids.

Hey, don't rip on Episode I... Episode II was far worse

I was kinda thinking this too, but with sounds from F1 V10s instead. (To think of it, I think Lucas used a V10 in one of those podracers.)

good_Ralf · Post by **good_Ralf** » 28 Jul 2014, 14:33

Aerospeed wrote:Hey, don't rip on Episode I... Episode II was far worse

I also thought Phantom Menace was very good to watch (even if I haven't seen it for years). I cringe with frustration whenever people are mean about it, saying it's the worst film. :lol:

AndreaModa · Post by **AndreaModa** » 28 Jul 2014, 16:47

Taking this totally off topic but...

You're all wrong.

Every Star Wars film is crap. Deal with it!

Gerudo Dragon · Post by **Gerudo Dragon** » 28 Jul 2014, 17:29

Aerospeed wrote:Hey, don't rip on Episode I... The Disney films are far worse

Fixed

AustralianStig · Post by **AustralianStig** » 28 Jul 2014, 23:52

I have to admit, the podrace in Episode I is probably my favourite fictional racing scene, ever. (Not including car chases: The Italian Job, anyone?)

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 29 Jul 2014, 17:33

AustralianStig wrote:I have to admit, the podrace in Episode I is probably my favourite fictional racing scene, ever. (Not including car chases: The Italian Job, anyone?)

Have you seen the deleted Swan Lake scene from The Italian Job? Brilliant sequence, the whole escape from Turin to the cliffhanger ending...

GwilymJJames · Post by **GwilymJJames** » 30 Jul 2014, 20:44

The 2nd race (Malaysia) has been shifted back by a month, and now coincides with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. I can't help thinking having a 10 week break between the first two races, and sneaking the second race out when no-one will be looking, is a great way to kill the series before it's begun.

Shizuka · Post by **Shizuka** » 06 Aug 2014, 15:47

Here's how a pitstop is done... courtesy of our latest lucky bastard, Nelsinho Piquet

GwilymJJames · Post by **GwilymJJames** » 21 Aug 2014, 10:20

China Racing drivers to be Nelson Piquet Jnr and Ho-Pin Tung.

Waris · Post by **Waris** » 21 Aug 2014, 10:49

GwilymJJames wrote:China Racing drivers to be Nelson Piquet Jnr and Ho-Pin Tung.

This is awesome news!! Chinese F1 Idol together with the bad boy from Singapore. Easily the most rejectful Formula E lineup! It really is turning into real-life F1RMGPS.

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 21 Aug 2014, 16:57

Autosport wrote:"To be a driver in the very first Formula E championship is a great honour as it's a very interesting new concept in motorsport," said Nelson Piquet Jnr.

Nelson Piquet also competed in the first season for Team Brazil in A1GP. Won both races at the first double-header at Brands Hatch in 2005. Neither Piquet not Team Brazil ever won again in the four years of that series. Will history repeat itself?

mediocre · Post by **mediocre** » 21 Aug 2014, 21:45

Will Formula E be the first time that the names Senna and Prost will race against each other since Australia 1993? (I mean in terms of a whole season, not single events like Le Mans.)
We need more, like Mathias Lauda. Piquet Jr. is already there.

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 21 Aug 2014, 22:11

A shame that Josh Hill is no longer in motorsport, then.

Nor Freddie Hunt, although James Hunt had retired from driving long before the late '80s/early '90s...

golic_2004 · Post by **golic_2004** » 22 Aug 2014, 11:58

mediocre wrote:Will Formula E be the first time that the names Senna and Prost will race against each other since Australia 1993? (I mean in terms of a whole season, not single events like Le Mans.)
We need more, like Mathias Lauda. Piquet Jr. is already there.

Mathias Lauda is enjoying his career in...the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series where he is 5th in the points, including a win at Tours Speedway in France

Dom_Wings · Post by **Dom_Wings** » 22 Aug 2014, 12:30

Test Day 5 in Donington:
1. #9 Sebastien Buemi, e.dams-Renault, 1:31.792s
2. #8 Nicolas Prost, e.dams-Renault, 1:32.117s
3. #27 Franck Montagny, Andretti Autosport, 1:32.143s
4. #21 Bruno Senna, Mahindra Racing, 1:32.249s
5. #2 Sam Bird, Virgin Racing, 1:32.292s
6. #11 Lucas di Grassi, Audi Sport ABT, 1:32.293s
7. #5 Karun Chandhok, Mahindra Racing, 1:32.369s
8. #7 Jerome d’Ambrosio, Dragon Racing, 1:32.646s
9. #30 Stephane Sarrazin, Venturi, 1:32.663s
10. #23 Nick Heidfeld, Venturi, 1:32.775s
11. #99 Nelson Piquet, China Racing, 1:32.808s
12. #3 Jaime Alguersuari, Virgin Racing, 1:32.821s
13. #28 Charles Pic, Andretti Autosport, 1:32.841s
14. #66 Daniel Abt, Audi Sport ABT, 1:32.867s
15. #10 Jarno Trulli, Trulli, 1:32.892s
16. #6 Oriol Servia, Dragon Racing, 1:33.411s
17. #88 Antonio Garcia, China Racing, 1:33.469s
18. #55 Takuma Sato, Amlin Aguri, 1:35.425s
19. #18 Michela Cerruti, Trulli, 1:35.444s
20. #77 Katherine Legge, Amlin Aguri, 1:38.112s <------ of course, 3 seconds off the pace of her teammate and also the second female driver Cerruti.

e.dams is so far the team to beat, meanwhile Amlin Aguri aren't very strong whatsoever.
I will follow this series a lot, as a lot of rejects drive in there

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 22 Aug 2014, 20:56

Reject_Dom wrote:Test Day 5 in Donington:

18. #55 Takuma Sato, Amlin Aguri, 1:35.425s
19. #18 Michela Cerruti, Trulli, 1:35.444s
20. #77 Katherine Legge, Amlin Aguri, 1:38.112s <------ of course, 3 seconds off the pace of his teammate and also the second female driver Cerruti.

Dom_Wings · Post by **Dom_Wings** » 24 Aug 2014, 15:08

dr-baker wrote:
Reject_Dom wrote:Test Day 5 in Donington:

18. #55 Takuma Sato, Amlin Aguri, 1:35.425s
19. #18 Michela Cerruti, Trulli, 1:35.444s
20. #77 Katherine Legge, Amlin Aguri, 1:38.112s <------ of course, 3 seconds off the pace of his teammate and also the second female driver Cerruti.

Oh god dammit. :oops:

Sato made me confused

Will edit that.

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 24 Aug 2014, 18:59

Reject_Dom wrote:
dr-baker wrote:
Reject_Dom wrote:Test Day 5 in Donington:

18. #55 Takuma Sato, Amlin Aguri, 1:35.425s
19. #18 Michela Cerruti, Trulli, 1:35.444s
20. #77 Katherine Legge, Amlin Aguri, 1:38.112s <------ of course, 3 seconds off the pace of his teammate and also the second female driver Cerruti.

Oh god dammit. Sato made me confused
Will edit that.

Waris · Post by **Waris** » 25 Aug 2014, 13:36

golic_2004 wrote:
mediocre wrote:Will Formula E be the first time that the names Senna and Prost will race against each other since Australia 1993? (I mean in terms of a whole season, not single events like Le Mans.)
We need more, like Mathias Lauda. Piquet Jr. is already there.

Mathias Lauda is enjoying his career in...the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series where he is 5th in the points, including a win at Tours Speedway in France

!!!

dr-baker wrote:A shame that Josh Hill is no longer in motorsport, then. Nor Freddie Hunt, although James Hunt had retired from driving long before the late '80s/early '90s...

I'm pretty sure Freddie Hunt was/is set to drive for Tiga's new reincarnation in ELMS/WEC, or did that come to naught?

CoopsII · Post by **CoopsII** » 29 Aug 2014, 10:34

UK viewers will now be able to watch this on BT Sport aswell as ITV4.

I cannot contain my excitement.

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 29 Aug 2014, 11:35

CoopsII wrote:UK viewers will now be able to watch this on BT Sport aswell as ITV4.

I cannot contain my excitement.

I hope to God that the deal does not end up the same as the Sky/BBC F1 deal, i.e. I hope ITV4 get to always show all of every round...

CoopsII · Post by **CoopsII** » 29 Aug 2014, 11:38

dr-baker wrote:
CoopsII wrote:UK viewers will now be able to watch this on BT Sport aswell as ITV4.

I cannot contain my excitement.

I hope to God that the deal does not end up the same as the Sky/BBC F1 deal, i.e. I hope ITV4 get to always show all of every round...

I don't believe there's much point in thinking too far into future so just be content that for the inaugral season it's all available for free. After that, que sera sera.

And people on this very forum snootily suggested that Formula E wouldnt even happen. Your words, naysayers, eat them.

andrew · Post by **andrew** » 29 Aug 2014, 11:40

http://advanced-television.com/2014/08/ ... ghts-race/

BT has highlights itv has the live races

Snoozey2 · Post by **Snoozey2** » 30 Aug 2014, 01:28

Liveries (and projected rankings?):

Pointrox · Post by **Pointrox** » 30 Aug 2014, 07:33

Not a single bad looking car.
Oh wait, there's Abt, which looked fine in red and black until someone puked yellow and green paint all over it's rear end. What were they thinking?

Venturi looks awesome, with a tad bit more white it could pull off the HRT F111 look easily

Virgin is the bees knees, and I'm pretty sure everyone agrees on that one.

dinizintheoven · Post by **dinizintheoven** » 30 Aug 2014, 12:34

So Mahindra, not content with merely signing Bruno Senna and Karun Chandhok, have made something of an HRT-esque livery, with hints of both the 2010 and 2011 cars. All it needs now is some "This could be YOU" and "Your Logo HERE" decals to finish!

Bleu · Post by **Bleu** » 30 Aug 2014, 16:29

So the light blue with yellow stripes is e.DAMS?
Red/Yellow/Green is Abt?
McAfee car is Dragon?

andrew2209 · Post by **andrew2209** » 30 Aug 2014, 18:03

Bleu wrote:So the light blue with yellow stripes is e.DAMS?
Red/Yellow/Green is Abt?
McAfee car is Dragon?

Yes, comparing car numbers to the entry list. Also the fact the car with a dragon on it isn't Dragon Racing is a minor nuisance

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 30 Aug 2014, 18:27

andrew2209 wrote:Also the fact the car with a dragon on it isn't Dragon Racing is a minor nuisance

It's what I said after the first tests at Donnington nearly 2 months ago in this thread...

Waris · Post by **Waris** » 05 Sep 2014, 17:56

I find the liveries as a whole disappointingly boring, although some individual ones are pretty cool. The Virgin one looks like an exotic chocolate wrapper, which is not a bad thing IMO.